Mask Holder

ABSTRACT

A mask holder may provide a place to store one or more facial masks or personal protective equipment (PPE) when not in use so that the facial masks or PPE are not further contaminated or lost prior to the next use. The mask holder may be utilized in a variety of different environments including, but not limited to, in an automobile, in an office/at work, and/or at home. Different types of mask holders may be provided that may house either a particular type of mask or more than one type of mask. A mask holder may be mounted in a variety of different manners including, but not limited to, visor clip, magnets, hook and loop portions, and/or double-sided tape or adhesive. The mask may be received on a holder plate and secured to the holder plate using clips or hooks.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/114,754 filed on Nov. 17,2020, entitled “Mask Holder,” which is incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure generally relates to mask holders, and moreparticularly to mask holders that may receive one or more types offacial masks or other personal protective equipment (PPE).

BACKGROUND

Facial masks or other personal protective equipment (PPE) have been usedin medical facilities or on construction sites in the past to protectusers from germs or ingestion of other materials through the user's noseor mouth. Use of facial masks and other PPE has become more prevalentwithin the general public as well given the recent COVID-19 pandemic.However, when users utilize reusable facial masks or other PPE, an issuearises as to how to store or maintain the facial masks or other PPEuntil the next use without losing or further contaminating the facialmasks or other PPE.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a mask holder that maystore one or more facial masks or personal protective equipment (PPE)when not in use so that the facial masks or PPE are not furthercontaminated or lost prior to the next use. The mask holder may beutilized in a variety of different environments including, but notlimited to, in an automobile, in an office/at work, and/or at home.Different types of mask holders may be provided that may house either aparticular type of mask or more than one type of mask. A mask holderaccording to embodiments of the present disclosure may be mounted in avariety of different manners including, but not limited to, visor clip,magnets, hook and loop portions, and/or double-sided tape or adhesive.The mask may be received on a holder plate and secured to the holderplate using clips or hooks.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a mask holder to storeone or more facial masks or personal protective equipment (PPE) when notin use comprising: a holder plate having at least one mounting mechanismon a first side of the holder plate that may secure the holder plate toa surface; and at least one attachment mechanism on a second side of theholder plate opposite the first side that may releasably receive the oneor more facial masks or PPE and secures the one or more facial masks orPPE relative to the holder plate, wherein the one or more facial masksor PPE may be secured from contamination or loss. The holder plate maybe approximately 0.80 inches thick. The at least one attachmentmechanism may be one or more hooks, and the one or more hooks may be⅛-inch hooks. The at least one mounting mechanism may be visor clips,and the visor clips may be ⅜-inch-wide spring metal clips. The visorclips may be insertable into a rear of a visor fixture in an automobile.The at least one attachment mechanism may be one or more clips, the maskholder further comprising: one more binder/display holes that mayreceive the one or more clips. The at least one attachment mechanism maybe one or more clips and one or more hooks.

The mask holder may receive fully expanded or folded over facial masksor PPE. The at least one mounting mechanism may be a magnet that mayallow the mask holder to be adhered to a surface that may attract themagnet. The at least one mounting mechanism may be one or more hook andloop portions that may attach to a receiving side of the one or morehook and loop portions placed on a surface. The mask holder may receivea specific type of facial mask or PPE or may receive more than one typeof facial mask or PPE. The at least one mounting mechanism may bedouble-sided tape or adhesive. The mask holder may be utilized in one ormore environments selected from the group comprising: an automobile, inan office, at work, and/or at home.

Other technical features may be readily apparent to one skilled in theart from the following figures, descriptions and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of this disclosure, reference is nowmade to the following description, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1A-1H depict a mask holder according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIGS. 2A-2E depict a mask holder according to another embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIGS. 3A-3D depict a mask holder according to another embodiment of thepresent disclosure; and

FIGS. 4A-4D depict a mask holder according to another embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a mask holder. Themask holder may provide a place to store one or more facial masks orpersonal protective equipment (PPE) when not in use so that the facialmasks or PPE are not further contaminated or lost prior to the next use.The mask holder may be utilized in a variety of different environmentsincluding, but not limited to, in an automobile, in an office/at work,and/or at home. Different types of mask holders may be provided that mayhouse either a particular type of mask or more than one type of mask. Amask holder according to embodiments of the present disclosure may bemounted in a variety of different manners including, but not limited to,visor clip, magnets, hook and loop portions, and/or double-sided tape oradhesive.

FIGS. 1A-1H depict a mask holder according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure. The mask holder may include a holder plate that maybe attached, for example, to a visor in an automobile. The holder platemay be approximately 0.80 inches thick in an embodiment of the presentdisclosure; however, the holder plate may be more or less thick withoutdeparting from the present disclosure. When a person enters theautomobile, the person may remove his/her mask and hang the mask on oneor more hooks present on the holder plate. In an embodiment of thepresent disclosure, the one or more hooks may be ⅛-inch hooks; however,other sizes or types of hooks may be used without departing from thepresent disclosure. Similarly, while hooks are described herein, itshould be appreciated that other types of attachment mechanisms may beutilized without departing from the present disclosure. Visor clips maybe provided to keep the holder plate in place while the one or morehooks may secure the mask to the holder plate. In an embodiment of thepresent disclosure, ⅜-inch-wide spring metal clips may be used for thevisor clips; however, other types or sizes of clips may be used withoutdeparting from the present disclosure. Also, as depicted herein,binder/display holes (FIG. 1D) may be provided to receive one or moreclips that may be used to secure a mask on the holder plate, either inplace of or in addition to one or more hooks. These clips may be usedfor certain types of masks, such as particulate respirators, that may bemore rounded in shape and less readily attachable via hooks, such as anN95 mask.

FIGS. 2A-2E depict a mask holder according to another embodiment of thepresent disclosure. More specifically, FIG. 2A depicts a mask attachedto a holder plate using a plurality of hooks provided on the holderplate. FIGS. 2B, 2D, and 2E depict different views of a spring clip thatmay be provided on a portion of the holder plate opposite where the maskis attached. There may be more than one spring clip provided on theholder plate that may be affixed, for example, to a visor in anautomobile. The plurality of spring clips may be inserted into the rearof a visor fixture according to an embodiment of the present disclosureas depicted in FIG. 2D. There also may be embodiments of the presentdisclosure where clips may be provided to insert a mask, such as inplace of hooks. In such embodiments, the mask may be fully expanded orfolded over for insertion into the clips.

FIGS. 3A-3D depict a mask holder according to another embodiment of thepresent disclosure. In this embodiment, in place of the plurality ofspring clips, at least one magnet may be provided on a holder plateopposite the side where a mask may be attached. Accordingly, the atleast one magnet may allow the mask holder to be adhered to a surfacethat may receive a magnet including, but not limited to, a refrigeratoror other appliance in a home or office.

FIGS. 4A-4D depict a mask holder according to another embodiment of thepresent disclosure. In this embodiment, in place of the plurality ofspring clips or at least one magnet, one or more hook and loop portionsmay be provided on a holder plate opposite the side where a mask may beattached. The receiving side(s) of the hook and loop portions may beprovided in one or more locations set by a user to attach to the hookand loop portions attached to the holder plate.

Although the present disclosure and its advantages have been describedin detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutionsand alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit andscope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, thescope of the present application is not intended to be limited to theparticular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, compositionof matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. Asone of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from thedisclosure, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter,means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developedthat perform substantially the same function or achieve substantiallythe same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may beutilized according to the present disclosure. Accordingly, the appendedclaims are intended to include within their scope such processes,machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.

1. A mask holder to store one or more facial masks or personalprotective equipment (PPE) when not in use comprising: a holder platehaving at least one mounting mechanism on a first side of the holderplate that secures the holder plate to a surface; and at least oneattachment mechanism on a second side of the holder plate opposite thefirst side that releasably receives the one or more facial masks or PPEand secures the one or more facial masks or PPE relative to the holderplate, wherein the one or more facial masks or PPE are secured fromcontamination or loss.
 2. The mask holder of claim 1, wherein the holderplate is approximately 0.80 inches thick.
 3. The mask holder of claim 1,wherein the at least one attachment mechanism is one or more hooks. 4.The mask holder of claim 3, wherein the one or more hooks are ⅛-inchhooks.
 5. The mask holder of claim 1, wherein the at least one mountingmechanism are visor clips.
 6. The mask holder of claim 5, wherein thevisor clips are ⅜-inch-wide spring metal clips.
 7. The mask holder ofclaim 6, wherein visor clips are insertable into a rear of a visorfixture in an automobile.
 8. The mask holder of claim 5, wherein the atleast one attachment mechanism is one or more clips, the mask holderfurther comprising: one more binder/display holes that receive the oneor more clips.
 9. The mask holder of claim 8, wherein the at least oneattachment mechanism is one or more clips and one or more hooks.
 10. Themask holder of claim 1, wherein the mask holder receives fully expandedor folded over facial masks or PPE.
 11. The mask holder of claim 1,wherein the at least one mounting mechanism is a magnet that allows themask holder to be adhered to a surface that attracts the magnet.
 12. Themask holder of claim 1, wherein the at least one mounting mechanism isone or more hook and loop portions that attach to a receiving side ofthe one or more hook and loop portions placed on a surface.
 13. The maskholder of claim 1, wherein the mask holder receives a specific type offacial mask or PPE.
 14. The mask holder of claim 1, wherein the maskholder receives more than one type of facial mask or PPE.
 15. The maskholder of claim 1, wherein the at least one mounting mechanism isdouble-sided tape or adhesive.
 16. The mask holder of claim 1, whereinthe mask holder is utilized in one or more environments selected fromthe group comprising: an automobile, in an office, at work, and/or athome.